Biographical Note

From 1922 to 1945, E. Neal Klemgard (1901-1978) worked for two petroleum firms, Shell and Sun Oil, and was a faculty member at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Klemgard was a nationally recognized lubrication engineer who conducted research on ways to improve oils and grease, and high temperature resistant lubricants for missiles and space vehicles. In 1945 he joined the Washington State College (later Washington State University) faculty in the department of Chemical Engineering. He held several patents and authored two texts on lubrication as well as a variety of research on petrochemicals. He served as the first port commissioner in Whitman County and helped plan the early recreation options in Pullman.

Scope and Content

E. Neal Klemgard papers, including correspondence, ephemera, ledgers, newspaper clippings, reports, scrapbooks, speeches and writings, business, financial, and personal records. Most of the materials in the collection relate to Klemgard's work in chemical engineering. These materials include correspondence, reports, data, and technical drawings. There are also materials related to Klemgard's activities as Whitman County Port Commissioner and with city recreational departments.

Accession 1979-43, 1923-1976 (32.0 linear feet).

This accession contains research files from Klemgard's work as a chemical engineer, materials related to his as a public official in Pullman, Washington, and family papers pertaining to James Klemgard. This collection includes numerous types of documentation on the Chemical Engineering Department, industrial conferences, records relating to Klemgard’s public and private activities, voluminous research documents and materials, especially related to study of oils, petroleum products and government services research. These records contain extensive industrial research and information from a variety of industries and institutions. Klemgard has documents from several major industrial firms other than the two he worked for because of his research activities. There is documentation from his work with NASA, the United States Air Force, Dow Chemical Company, Boeing, Kaiser Aluminum, General Electric, and in a number of other petrochemical, wood, metallurgical industries, as well as the methods for processing industrial wastes and byproducts. Other materials relate to his service as the Whitman County Port Commissioner and his activities with city recreational departments. The collections houses municipal and state parks service records. In addition, the accession contains personal correspondence from the 1940s and photographs.

Accession 1983-29, 1928-1977 (13.0 linear feet).

This accession contains mostly chemical and engineering research materials from both higher education and industry primarily from the 1930s through the 1960s. There are numerous folders with a variety of patents from Klemgard and other engineers, as well as numerous purchase agreements and other corporate administrative documents. This collection also contains a variety of documents related to administration and research in the Washington State University (WSU) College of Engineering and materials related to military research undertaken by Klemgard and other WSU engineering faculty. In addition, there are materials from Klemgard's service in the military during World War II as an instructor. This accession also contains photographs related to Klemgard's work.

Access

This collection is open and available for research use.

Acquisition Information

Materials in this collection was donated to the Washington State University Libraries by Donna and Lloyd Slusser in 1979 (MS 1979-43). No documentation exists related to the acqisition of materials acquired in 1983 (MS 1983-38).